Ever wondered what would happen if you took shoegazing music and combined it with black metal? Well, it would be one of the most beautiful albums you’ve ever heard. Alcest, which consists of just French artist Neige, sounds nothing like the raw black metal from which its sole participant is known for (a genre that I don’t particularly care for), so don’t let those musical roots fool you. Hands down my favorite album of 2007.

Favorite tracks: Printemps Émeraude, Ciel Errant, Tir Nan Og

2. Porcupine Tree – Fear Of A Blank Planet

Perhaps the best progressive rock album in over a decade. Porcupine Tree have gone through a few transformations during their storied career, and this is easily the best of the latest one. The only reason I don’t consider it on par with Alcest is due to Sleep Together, which I think could have been a little better. But that’s really nitpicking.

Favorite tracks: Anesthetize, Sentimental, My Ashes

3. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

I know I’m in the minority here when I say that I like this album more than Funeral. Perhaps it has something to do with the obvious Springsteen influences scattered throughout.

I could do without one or two songs, but the second half of this album, from “Magic” to the unlisted “Terry’s Song”, is the best sequence of songs on a Springsteen album since Tunnel Of Love.

Favorite tracks: Magic, Long Walk Home, Devil’s Arcade

5. LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver

This one took me by surprise, as I expected a basic dance/electronic record here, but several songs on this album are absolutely fantastic. I don’t like all of it, but “All My Friends” and “Someone Great” alone would place it fairly high anyway – that’s how incredible those two songs are.

Favorite tracks: All My Friends, Someone Great, North American Scum

6. Battles – Mirrored

What’s this? An experimental/indie album with progressive rock tendencies? Sign me up! This album sounds like absolutely nothing that I’ve ever heard before, and while it can start to drag toward the end, the high points easily outweigh the few lows it has.

Favorite tracks: Atlas, Tonto, Rainbow

7. The National – Boxer

I think it loses a bit of steam during the last few songs, but the rest is just gorgeous.

Favorite tracks: Fake Empire, Mistaken For Strangers, Slow Show

8. Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War

Not as strong as their last two albums, but still very well done with lots of pop hooks and lovely ballads.

Favorite tracks: Personal, Take Me To The Riot, In Our Bedroom After The War

9. White Stripes – Icky Thump

I think I enjoy this one almost as much as Elephant now – it’s that good.

Favorite tracks: Effect And Cause, Rag And Bone, You Don’t Know What Love Is

10. Jesu – Conqueror

Another band where the principal member has left his metal roots behind him a bit by venturing into a more experimental/post-rock territory, with excellent results.

Favorite tracks: Transfigure, Brighteyes, Stanlow

11. Okkervil River – The Stage Names

I might be in the minority on this, I don’t know, but I think this album is miles ahead of their previous effort (Black Sheep Boy), with an excellent mix of upbeat numbers and reflective compositions, with horns and strings used to brilliant effect.

Favorite tracks: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe, Savannah Smiles, A Girl In Port

12. Radiohead – In Rainbows

I like the album, but don’t place it on the pedestal that others have. I think it’s beautifully done, but there are a few tracks that I don’t like what they did with (yes, I’m looking at you, Videotape).

Favorite tracks: Bodysnatchers, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need

13. The Shins – Wincing The Night Away

If only all pop-oriented albums were done this way.

Favorite tracks: Sleeping Lessons, Australia, Phantom Limb

14. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

The songs flow seemlessly from one to the other, and I think the horns work very well.

Favorite tracks: Rhthm & Soul, Don’t You Evah, The Underdog

15. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand

The chemistry between these two is evident throughout this entire disc. The vocals sound lovely together, and the music works perfectly. Fantastic album.

Two progressive rock acts that are new to the scene, and while they may not be the most original bands out there (hopefully they will continue to evolve and find their own paths), the music so far has been impressive. The Third Ending is kind of a blend of Porcupine Tree and Spock’s Beard, while Airbag is an obvious Pink Floyd clone. Both are recommended nonetheless.

It’s impossible, really, to top The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, which is a classic, but this is still a very good piece of music.

Favorite tracks: The Birth And Death Of The Day, It’s Natural To Be Afraid

20. Editors – An End Has A Start

Yeah, people think they are a ripoff of Interpol, but this year, their album was better. Whereas I was a bit disappointed with the latter band, I found this album to be a very good follow-up to their debut, although it doesn’t quite reach its predecessor’s level.

Favorite tracks: Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, An End Has A Start, Bones

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Quote:

Originally posted by elevation2u there's a lot of album I wanted to hear but never got around to including MIA, Eddie Vedder, Okkervil River (sp?), Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Babyshambles among many

Ditto. I've only heard a few albums from this year, but I'll put 'em down sometime soon once I gather them all together. And I've been hearing songs here and there from a bunch of the artists in this list, and based on what I've heard, I will definitely be tracking down a lot of these albums in the future. The stuff I've heard has me very curious.